Friday

Jul 27, 2018 at 11:21 AMJul 27, 2018 at 11:23 AM

When Larry Abreu Jacques was nominated by his father-in-law, Francisco Figueira, to serve on 1988 Feast of the Blessed Sacrament Committee, he told himself that he would serve for one year and then be done.

Little did he know that he would serve on the Board of Directors two years later and eventually take the helm of the Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento multiple times.

“I grew up like most American kids in the city and took the feast for granted, but once I took my first trip to Madeira in 1985, everything changed. I saw my homeland, my family and my feast in a new light, and eventually got involved,” Jacques has told O Jornal.

After serving as club president from to 2005 to 2015 (with the exception of 2010 when his vice-president Joe Quintal took over for that year), Jacques accepted again the leadership of the organization earlier this year.

He had previously served ten years as vice president of the club and traces his family roots to Estreito da Calheta, where the feast originated.

“My grandfather was from Prazeres and my grandmother was from Fajã da Vila,” Jacques said, adding that his father was born in the United States had returned to the Pearl of the Atlantic to Estreito da Calheta while he was young.

Known to be an upbeat person, this retired fireman admits to be upbeat by choice.

“I can be grouchy all day long, if I want to, but that’s not good for your heart,” he shared. “It’s because my heart is here. That’s why I smile, and I do smile a lot.”

The Clube Madeirense S.S. Sacramento currently boasts a list of several hundred members. The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is in actuality a year long event that requires attentive and responsible planning, financing and marketing. During the final weeks before the feast, the reinforcements and marginal members of the organization show up to help.

Every year, there are improvements made and this year is no exception.

“We are building that new building over there for malassadas, a new south gate,” Jacques pointed out. “Since I have been the president of this club, starting 10 years ago, every one of these barracas has been renewed. Even that new ladies room.”

Some of the changes are made to keep up with the times, he said.

“I would love to have the old barracas, but with the Health Department, you can’t have it,” he said. “A little bit [is done] every year, and the whole field has been done over.”

The club recently purchased a lot on Tinkham Street next to the Senhor da Pedra Society to offset space constraints and fulfill the desire to expand the facilities.

“The plans right now is just to put there our ice trucks, Shaws truck, Budweiser truck, so they are off the street and not taking up room,” shared the president. “It’s going to take time as everything takes time… you can’t rush it.”

But nothing can be accomplished without the dedication and invaluable support of club members and volunteers, he stressed.

“It’s not just the club, it’s the club members, and yes, it’s the volunteers that we get to come in here,” he shared grateful for the community assistance. “They come in and help us out during the feast.”

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